Ranking PSG's 5 best players against Lorient

Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) effervescent front three put on a stellar show to inflict a 5-1 defeat upon Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday night.

Having endured a crushing 3-0 defeat in their pre-international break outing against Monaco, the Parisians needed an impressive victory to win their fans back. The trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi brought their A-game to do just that in front of a buzzing Parc des Princes.

Mbappe took only four minutes to test Matthieu Dreyer, forcing the Lorient goalkeeper to parry his low drive behind for a corner. Eight minutes later, Neymar, the most expensive player in the world, got the breakthrough after a clever bit of play between Mbappe and Messi.

A couple of minutes before the half-hour mark, the Parisians doubled their tally, this time through Mbappe. The Frenchman demonstrated his nimble footwork to brush aside Lorient’s attempted clearances before rippling the netting.

Just past the ten-minute mark into the second half, Terem Moffi pulled one back for the visitors, capitalizing on a lackluster pass from Achraf Hakimi. However, before they could plot a turnaround, Mbappe struck again for Paris Saint-Germain, restoring their two-goal cushion. Hakimi, who had practically assisted Moffi 11 minutes prior, made amends by setting up the PSG No. 7 for his second of the night.

Six minutes later, Messi, who was jeered at the same venue last month, scored his side's fourth goal to seal Lorient’s fate. His former Barcelona teammate Neymar completed his brace in the dying embers of the match to make it five for PSG.

Following the win, Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain now sit eight points clear of second-placed Marseille after 30 rounds of fixtures.

Here are five Paris Saint-Germain stars who pitched in greatly to make it a night to remember against Lorient on Sunday:

#5 Nuno Mendes

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PSG left-back Nuno Mendes produced a sure-footed display against Lorient on Sunday. Although he was not as adventurous as Achraf Hakimi, his contribution was no less important.

The 19-year-old was always alert at the back, rarely putting a foot wrong, and proved to be impossible for Lorient's attackers to get past him.

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Over the course of the 90, the Portuguese succeeded in six ground duels, won all three of his tackles, and registered six recoveries.

He was also fouled thrice, emerging as the most fouled player on the pitch.

#4 Idrissa Gueye

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Central midfielder Idrissa Gueye was in top form against Lorient. He was calm and collected on the ball, rarely misplaced a pass, and even got himself an assist in the first half.

The 32-year-old Senegal international pushed ahead in search of something positive and found Mbappe on the edge of the Lorient box. The 2018 World Cup winner unhesitantly went in and took care of business.

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Against Lorient, Gueye also won six duels, played 76 accurate passes with 96.2 percent accuracy, completed three interceptions, and attempted three tackles.

A complete display from the midfield star.

#3 Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi, who has been heavily criticized for his lack of goals in Ligue 1 this season, finally added to his tally on Sunday.

The Argentine got on the scoresheet in the 73rd minute, dispatching an unstoppable shot after latching on to Mbappe’s cutback. His shot slammed against the crossbar before nestling in, giving the keeper no chance.

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As has been the case this season, Messi routinely dropped deep to collect the ball from midfield.

Aside from the goal, his third in Ligue 1, the 34-year-old completed three dribbles, won four ground duels, and provided a key pass.

#2 Neymar

Having been booed by PSG fans a few weeks back, Neymar needed to produce a good performance to turn them into cheers.

Sunday night’s performance was all about righting the wrongs and showing Paris Saint-Germain fans that he can still produce top-drawer performances.

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The Brazil international opened the scoring for PSG in the 12th minute. Having played through on goal by Mbappe, Neymar kept his cool and comfortably slotted the ball past Dreyer.

His second goal of the night came in the 90th minute, the result of a swift dash and composed finishing.

Apart from his brace, the 30-year-old also provided five key passes and won seven duels.

#1 Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain’s 23-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe ran the show against Lorient on Sunday. He popped up in dangerous areas, carried the ball well, linked effortlessly with Neymar and Messi, and played a part in all five goals.

Mbappe assisted Neymar’s opener in the 12th minute, doing ever so well to find his teammate with an inch-perfect pass. 16 minutes later, he got on the scoresheet himself, dancing his way into the Lorient box before dispatching an unstoppable shot.

He doubled his tally in the 67th minute after being played through on goal by Achraf Hakimi. Mbappe showed excellent composure to evade challenges and find the back of the net.

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Six minutes later, Mbappe put an excellent cross in Messi’s path, who made no mistake from close range to make it 4-1 for the Parisians.

Finally, in the 90th minute, the former Monaco man secured his third assist of the night, playing a sumptuous through ball for Neymar to chase. The Brazilian comfortably converted to cap off a five-star display by PSG.

Apart from his two goals and a hat-trick of assists, Mbappe also provided four key passes, completed six dribbles, and won eight duels.

A world-class performance by arguably the best player in the world right now.

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